A space to share my travels — whether it's across an ocean or a few miles down the road.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Leaving For Canada!

Good morning, Bloggy Friends!

I'm writing you from good ol' Canada, land of the maple leaf, universal healthcare and gay marriage! We left yesterday morning from NYC around 11 am. The drive through the city wasn't as bad as I expected. I guess we missed rush hour. We stopped about an hour and a half later in a small town called Beacon, where we toured a contemporary art museum, called Dia:Beacon. If you like ultra contemporary art, you will love this place. It is a massive warehouse space, that is full of the artwork from the 1960's - present. I'm usually a fan of any kind of art, but the feeling I got from this place was a little cold. I just didn't get some of the pieces. I just felt certain things were a slight pretentious, and simple to call art. But once you hear the motivation behind such things as a piece of string extending from the ceiling to the floor, you start to appreciate it a little better. I tried to open my mind as much as possible, and really ended up enjoying what I saw. Some of my favorite artists in the exhibit were Sol Lewitt, Max Newhaus, Richard Serraand of course Andy Warhol. I'm usually more a fan of art that is somewhat interactive in certain ways. I like a full experience, and I like it to make me think. Some things did, some didn't. The staff strictly forbade the use of photography in any way, but I did manage to snap a few shots for you to check out below! I'm such a good bloggy friend! :)

After that we set out to conquer the 4+ hour drive to Montreal. It didn't really seem so bad. We pumped music and chatted, when before long we were approaching the border. The people checking passports at the border always seem so serious and mean, but we had no problems. By the time we checked into our hotel, and put our luggage down, we were all famished. So we hit the streets in what we were wearing in search of dinner. Along the way I saw pieces of what seemed like Financial District Montreal. I saw lots of flashy lights, corporate businesses and several sex shops! The streets were packed, though, which was odd for a Thursday night. We found out there was a festival in town called "Just For Laughs." The streets certainly started to become more rambunctious as we approached "The Village," which is the gay district in town. We found dinner at a delicious French cafe, that I can't remember the name of. I enjoyed a delicious vegetarian quiche, a fresh mixed salad and a third of a liter of wine! It was very good, but I'm sure there is no website to share.

The people are very french here. You have to ask for English at restaurants, and everyone has accommodated. It's an odd place because it's French, with an over the top American influence. All the signs are like merci/thank you. I also get a certain cheesy vibe from a lot of things. We haven't seen, half of it, though, so I'll have to let you know what I think once I explore some more.

I need to rush and get showered so I can accomplish that, though! I hope you all have a great day. Enjoy some of the pictures from our evening and I'll talk to you soon!